Word: fortitude

Associations

Fortitude means having strong courage and mental strength to face difficulties. It often refers to the ability to endure hardships without giving up.

• Example 1: "She showed great fortitude during her illness." This means she was strong and brave while dealing with her sickness.
• Example 2: "The soldiers displayed fortitude in the face of battle." This means the soldiers remained courageous even when things were tough.
• Example 3: "It takes fortitude to start a new business." This suggests that starting a business can be challenging, and you need mental strength to succeed.

The synonym "courage" is similar but different. Courage usually refers to taking risks or facing fear, while fortitude emphasizes enduring hardship over time.

Substitution

Here are some alternatives you can use in place of "fortitude":

• Resilience: Refers to the ability to recover from difficulties quickly, suggesting a bounce-back quality.
• Endurance: Focuses on the ability to withstand prolonged stress or hardship.
• Grit: Implies a combination of passion and perseverance in achieving a long-term goal.

Using these synonyms might change the emphasis slightly—resilience is more about recovery, while endurance is about lasting power.

Deconstruction

The word "fortitude" comes from the Latin root "fortitudo," which means strength or bravery. The prefix "fort-" relates to strong, and the suffix "-tude" indicates a state or condition. This word is linked to the ideas of strength and moral courage.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you showed fortitude in your life? What situation did you face?
• How do you think fortitude can help you in your studies or work?
• In what other areas of life do you believe fortitude is important? Why?